The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1887-10-08
MAN AND CARPETBAG.
HOW THE EXPRESS BUSINESS WAS
STARTED FIFTY YEARS AGO.

Origin OF Adams Express-Brought to Mind
by the Sale OF the Baltimore & Ohio
Express.
William F. Harnden was the first ex.
| pIessman, and he began his business il
| lS3I-just fifty years ago. lie is de.
scribed as a man of sanguine tempera,
| ment, but he must have been sanguine,
| indeed, who could then have foreSeen the
| proportions to which the business was to
| grow in one short half century. Aud,
notwithstanding his sanguine nature,
| William F. Harnden was induced to
found the first express only after repeated
| urgings. Yet 30 great has the business
become that the sale of Baltimore & Ohio
| express, minor company among giants,
| has awakened universal interest and will
effect a mighty change in the business Of
| the United States.
But the purpose of the present article
is not statistical; it is only to lay before
the reader brief record of some Of the
earlier struggles of expressmen-to Cal
to mind some Of the romance Of the bust
ness, if you please it is written.
Before the time Of Harnden goods were
always sent by freight. The transmits
sion of valuable parcels-bank notes, gold
and silver, etc-in that way, was not tt
be thought of, and people who could not
afford the time or the money to carry
such precious things themselves used to
| depend upon the courtesy Of some friend
or chance acquaintance who was going
that way. Oftentimes entire strangers
| even were intrusted with such parcels
In those days, of course, there was far
less of that sort of business required than
| now, but it had become serious matter
| by 1887 to the business men of New y ork
| and Boston. AT that time James w.
| Hale kept the Tontine coffee house at
the corner of Pearl and Wall streets, in
New York. Connected with the coffee
house was news room-au institution
| long since rendered superfluous by the
daily press-where New York merchants
daily congregated, and famous stopping
place for travellers to Boston and other
New England points Harnden, the first
conductor, and afterward ticket agent
| on the Boston and Worcester railroad,
and whose health had somewhat failed
him. went to Hale for advice as to future
occupation. Hale told his applicant that
every day some one dropped in at the
news room auxiously inquiring for a
traveller to Boston or Providence by whom
parcel could be sent. He firmly be-
lieved that man could make good
living by taking charge of and delivering
this light freight. After some days hes
itaton Harnden decided to make the
venture, and, provided with such "a car
petbag as some readers will remember
was common in those days, set out on
his first trip BY Hale's advice the novel
enterprise was called 1.-THE express" a
new name at that time and one which
would give the idea OF speed and fidelity.
Orders for the express were taken on a
slate hung up in the news room and
trips were at first made but three times
| a week.
But it was some time before the ven
ture proved success. 1t seems strange
now to think that the business men of
that time could not easily be made to I'M
derstand that such a service as Harnden's
should be paid for, but they had been
accustomed for so long to the free car
rage of their parcels by their friends and
others that Harnden received small sup
| port at first, and when eight weeks had
| rolled by, had sunk all his ready money.
| Some friends, who dimly saw the future
of the enterprise, befriended him, how
ever, procuring for him free passage
on an opposition boat. This reduced his
expenses; he continued, and soon began
to make a little money. Then he hired
an assistant. made six trips week in
stead of three, and one night was over
| joyed to find that his receipts for the day
| were $50. When the Cunard line OF